Journals

According to Pittsburgh:

APRIL 21, 1997 - MONDAY
   breakfast at the B & D RESTAURANT across the street from the motel. good food, average portions and prices. SHAMAN, HOOK, LADDER, HAIR BEAR, WEEBLE, and KEEBLER ELF (SCOOBIE of the AT lists) were at the restaurant also. some of them ordered LEMON MERINGUE PIE for breakfast...
   SUNSHINE and i needed some repair work on our boots, so the next stop was the COBBLER. nice fellow that fixed our shoes immediately and showed us a picture of a 1994 hiker, SASSAFRAS, atop KATAHDIN...
   the weather report had indicated severe storms for the day, but it did not look or smell like a storm. we drove to WINDING STAIR GAP (US 64), packed and dressed for rain, and took off. we asked PAT and KEN to meet us at WAYAH BALD (USFS 69) just in case the bad weather set in, so we could decide if we would go on. the weather held, and the hike was wonderful. i am getting very strong and am able to keep a fairly steady pace hiking up, down, or level. this is allowing me to stay with SUNSHINE, and makes for a much more enjoyable day. we both enjoy the company, and have much to yak about. today we talked movies..
   we continued past WAYAH BALD and headed for BURNINGTOWN GAP (NC 1397). we met many new, and some familiar hikers. LAURIE and ALLEN, SPIDER, LAZY BOY, GAPPER, and ACHILL JACK were previous aquaintances. the new people were TIM, MARGE and CHRIS, and BOULDER TROUBLE. i believe that all of these people will be at WESSER tommorrow night...
   we got to BURNINGTOWN GAP, set up camp, ate MAC & CHEESE with TUNA, BAKED BEANS with ONIONS, and NINE GRAIN BREAD. there will be a symphony of BARKING SPIDERS tonight...

APRIL 22, 1997 - TUESDAY
   last evening, just as we retired, the promised thunder, lightning, and rain began. the light show didn't last all that long, but it drizzled thru the night...
   the rains had stopped by morning. it was overcast, but not cold. PAT and KEN were snoring away as i got out of the tent. SUNSHINE soon followed. we set up for breakfast, got the coffee and water going, then PAT and KEN decided to emerge. hmm...
   SUNSHINE was ready, and hit the trail. i followed soon after. TIM was at COLD SPRING shelter, along with three other people that i didn't get names for. the weather improved as the day progressed, becoming a rather sunny, pleasant day. i hiked alone all day long, and had a wonderful time, occasionally singing. near the end of the hike, i ran into SPIDER, LAZY BOY, and ACHILL JACK...
   SUNSHINE had apparently hoofed it all day long. she got to WESSER (US 19) long before i did. PAT and KEN had secured a room at one of the bunkhouses. we got situated, took showers, then ate at the RIVERS END RESTAURANT. this place is the greatest. the staff is laid back and the food is unusual and wonderful. there were many veggie dishes for SUNSHINE to choose from. the restaurant is situated right on the trail, overlooking the NANTAHALA RIVER...
   after we all returned to the bunkhouse, the light show and rains began anew. SUNSHINE is working on her written journal, KEN is reading, PAT has the DATABOOK in his lap, planning our future, and i am here on the laptop...

APRIL 23, 1997 - WEDNESDAY
   back to RIVERS END RESTAURANT for breakfast. we saw SPIDER, LAZY BOY, and ACHILL JACK leaving the restaurant as we arrived. they were slinging on the packs and moving out. soon after we ordered, LAURIE and ALLEN arrived from A. RUFUS MORGAN shelter, and GAPPER also arrived. ALLEN was so hungry that he finished off our scraps before his meal arrived...
   i was off hiking before SUNSHINE, but she quickly passed me. she also overran SPIDER and the boys. it slowed her down long enough for me to catch up, and we spent the rest of the day together. we hiked into the clouds long before reaching SASSAFRAS GAP shelter, and had to put on our wet weather gear because of the moisture in the air. fortunately, the winds were not bad, so we stayed relatively warm. we took our one break atop CHEOAH BALD. we are told that the views from there are spectacular...
   the were hiking in and out of the clouds as we neared our destination, STECOAH GAP (NC 143). PAT and KEN were in the van as we arrived. they were reluctant to emerge. we felt that it was fairly warm compared to the temps during our hike, but they were shivering. SUNSHINE and i grabbed some dry clothes and hopped in the van to change and warm up. PAT and KEN joined us...
   the pitter-patter of rain drops began, so we hustled to erect the tents, then jumped back into the van. we ate PB&J and BAKED BEANS from the can. as i write this, we are still in the van, hoping that the tents don't blow away. everyone is doing the same things as they did last night: journal, reading, planning, laptop...

APRIL 24, 1997 - THURSDAY
   last night, one by one, and with great sorrow (the van was warm), we went to our tents. a short time later, some local kids arrived at STECOAH GAP to smoke dope, drink beer, and listen to LOUD music. they were there for about a half hour, and didn't cause any problems, but they were lucky. PAT was 23 years in the military, and i knew he was prepared to pounce if the kids thought we were fair game...
   PAT has a trail name, GILAMAN (like HELIcopter) , that i will start using. KEN has not had a trail name, though a few have been bandied about. from some verbal abuse we were recently slinging in his direction came a response: I AM NOT A PACK MULE. so, until further notice, he is PACK MULE...
   SPIDER, LAZY BOY, and ACHILL JACK, who had arrived together at the gap last evening and tented a ways down a service road, were on the trail quick. SUNSHINE left right behind them. the rest of us were barely out of our tents. i took my time, spoke nicely to the sun, had a hot breakfast, and left an hour behind SUNSHINE...
   the initial climb out of STECOAH GAP is not bad. some evil person planned the trail after that. the climbs are steep and cruel. as the day unfolded, though, the terrain improved and i had a rather social time, meeting seven new hikers: GRAHAM CRACKER, RAMBLEON, DREAMWALKER, TAI CHI TREKKER, WILLY something-or-other, and a few others with names that escape me. i also caught, and passed, SPIDER and the boys...
   the last 4 or 5 mile section into FONTANA DAM is not properly blazed. [a blaze is a 2 inch by six inch vertical stripe of white paint that we all follow from GEORGIA to MAINE. these blazes are generally found on trees, and are spaced at reassuring distances along the trail to let you know that you are still on the trail] the section of the trail above FONTANA DAM, on the ridgeline, is devoid of blazes. i thought that i had lost the trail, and backtracked nearly half a mile to find out. i concluded that i was PROBABLY still on the trail, and turned back towards FONTANA. when the blazes DID start appearing again, they were BLOTCHES of paint that more resembled a tree disease rather than a blaze. generally, the people that maintain the trails are passionate, caring people that strive for perfection along their portion of the trail. it is obvious and unfortunate that this portion of the trail into FONTANA was blazed by someone that just doesn't care. i was irritated and insulted...
   GILAMAN and PACK MULE secured us a motel room in FONTANA VILLAGE. we showered, then hit the BUFFET supper at the PEPPERCORN RESTAURANT. very nice. at the restaurant, AL and CINDA WILLIAMSON introduced themselves. [they will be familiar to those on the A.T. lists] we chatted for a few minutes and invited them to our room to continue the conversation...
   AL and CINDA had started a thru-hike, but had a few mishaps, the worst being AL having two bouts of HYPO-THERMIA, one requiring extraction from the trail by FIRST RESPONDERS, PARAMEDICS, and AMBULANCE! AL has stopped his hike, but has continued to support (slackpack) CINDA on her hike. he, though, has been very wary of some of the roads that must be transversed to get to the trail, so they have missed some sections. this all boils down to CINDA joining the SLACKPACK TOUR for the long haul. she and AL had a zillion questions, and i guess we answered them properly. saturday, CINDA will hike into the SMOKIES with SUNSHINE and me. AL intends on making a nuisance of himself as we head for MAINE...
   this day has been PUNISHMENT and REWARD, with the steep, cruel climbs, then the joy of seeing so many new faces, then the irritating blazes, then the wonderful time with AL and CINDA. we all went to sleep warm and happy...

APRIL 25, 1997 - FRIDAY
today is our first off day. we ate a breakfast buffet at the PEPPERCORN RESTAURANT with AL and CINDA. GILAMAN and PACK MULE have headed for ROBBINSVILLE to wash the van, do some shopping and laundry, and bring back PIZZA for supper. SUNSHINE has happy feet, and is hiking all around FONTANA VILLAGE. i have journals, email, and snail mail to finish, and boots to waterproof...

Home